Photo by Skip Lawrence Marathon runner Lynn Richardson, right, gets her T-shirt after checking in for the Frederick Marathon from Julie Howell at Harry Grove Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

"It's been a fairly steady flow all day," said Rachel Ridgway, race director.

Going into Saturday about 3,200 people had registered for one of the five races -- marathon, half-marathon, team relay, twilight 5K and progressive marathon, she said.

By 3:30 p.m., volunteers had registered about 100 more people, Ridgway said. The marathon has grown by 20 percent since last year.

Runners formed a line to check in, get their numbers, chips, and T-shirts. They also received a bag full of information on Frederick , fliers for other races and samples from sponsors.

After check-in, runners and their families could browse through the Sports Expo, which featured nearly 15 businesses, including CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Fashion Time, and Metro Sports Magazine.

Besides local residents, this year's race features runners from 34 states and several different countries, including Canada, England and Germany, Ridgway said.

To help the runners, about 400 volunteers have been assembled to offer water, Gatorade and pretzels, said Mary Jo Richmond, volunteer coordinator. On Saturday, about 20 volunteers helped people register and gave out items, she said.

Each year, the marathon workers learn something new, Ridgway said, and this year's registration went smoothly.